We briefed Captain Howard on what we had learned thus far and quickly assembled a tactical team. The sun had just began to set as we headed towards Palm Bay, the city bathed in a warm, orange glow. The streets were alive with activity but my mind was completely focused on the mission ahead.

  We arrived at the address Xander had given us. The building was as he described, old, abandoned and quite. We approached cautiously; our hands at our weapons for the moment we needed to strike. The team spread out as we secured the perimeter of the building and checked for any signs of movement.

  Jacob and I moved to the front entrance as we signaled to the team to be on high alert. I took a deep breath, my heart pounded almost out of my chest. I knew this was it.

  "You ready?" Jacob asked me.

  I nodded, "Ready."

  The interior of the building was dark and musty, the air thick with nothing but dust. We moved slowly, our footsteps echoed off the walls. Suddenly, a noise from the back room made us freeze. I gestured to Jacob and we split up and approached from different angles.

  As we rounded the corner, we saw a group of men huddled around a table, maps and documents spread out in front of them. Among them was a tall imposing figure. El Diablo himself. You could tell from his jacket that had a devil image on it.

  "Miami Police Department, Put your hands where we can see them!" I yelled as I drew out my weapon.

  The room erupted in chaos. El Diablo's men reached for their weapons but they were too slow. We were quicker. Shots rang out in the room, and the air filled with the smell of gunpowder. I moved with purpose in mind. My training kicked in as I took down one of the guards.

  El Diablo tried to escape as he ran towards the door but Jacob intercepted him and tackled him to the ground. They struggled and I moved into help.

  "Not so fast Diablo. You ain't escaping that easy." I said.

  "We've got you Diablo. It's over. YOU DONE." Jacob said in Diablo's ear which made Diablo laugh and glare over in my direction.

  "Do you? Do you think you've gotten me? Do you then you've won? We'll see Flint, Grant, we'll see."

  As we escorted Diablo out of the building, the sense of victory was clear. We had just taken a significant step in dismantling a major crime organization. But I knew this was just the beginning of what was to come. More criminals to chase, more battles to fight.

  Back at the precinct, the atmosphere was electric. Our coworkers congratulated us, and Captain Howard gave a rare smile of approval.

  "Flint, Grant. Excellent work." He said. "You've made this city a safer place."

  I smirked, I felt a sense of pride wash over me. "Just doing our job Captain." I said followed by Jacob who repeated the same sentence.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  The precinct was quiet as I gathered my things at the end of the night. The hum of the fluorescent lights casted a soft glow over the room. It had been a long, exhausting day, but the thought of having dinner with Dr. Toretto brightened my spirits.

  I checked the time, I had just enough time to get home and make myself presentable. I felt bad enough for making Darius wait longer than he wanted.

  As I drove through the streets of Miami, the city lights twinkled in the evening air, my mind drifted back to the events of the day. El Diablo was behind bars, a major victory for our station, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the fight was far from over. For tonight, however, I allowed myself a moment of peace as I looked forward to a night without the pressure of the badge on my shoulders.

  I arrived home and I quickly headed for my closet, I stood there for a few moments as I debated on what I wanted to wear tonight, a glimpse of a sparkling gold dress caught my eye, I picked it up and held it for a moment, I hadn't worn that dress in years. I decided that tonight was the night. I matched it with a pair of silver heels and a white sweater, now I headed straight for the shower. The hot water soothed my tired muscles, and I closed my eyes for a few moments. After a few moments I stepped out, I felt refreshed and ready to transform myself from Detective Isabel Grant to simply just Izzy.

  I took extra care with my makeup, I opted for a smoky eye that made my dark brown eyes pop. A touch of highlighter accentuated my cheeks and I chose a bold red lipstick that added a touch of glamour. As a final touch, I let my hair fall in loose waves around my shoulders. I was satisfied with what I looked like tonight, I smiled. I looked good, and more importantly, I felt good.

  Just as I finished up. I heard my phone buzz. I walked over to the bed where my phone was. It was a message from Darius.

  Darius

  On my way, can't wait to see you.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  I smiled as I read the message, it was sweet that he informed me of his status. I put the lipstick down and decided to reply.

  Izzy

  I can't wait for it either, finally have a chance to relax.

  I felt a flutter of excitement. Darius had been a source of support and warmth through the chaos of the last few weeks or month for that matter and tonight was a chance to enjoy his company without any distractions. I grabbed my clutch and checked the time. He'd be here any moment.

  I heard a knock at the door just as I was putting my earrings on as the final touch to the outfit. My heart slipped a beat as I opened it to find Darius stood there, he looked dashing in a tailored black and red suit. His dark eyes lit up when he saw me and his smile made my heart flutter.

  "You look incredible Izzy." He said, his voice was soft.

  I smirked at him, "I appreciate that Doctor. It's not often I get to get dressed up."

  "Looks like the doctor can clean up pretty nice huh? I didn't think you could look any more handsome but I guess I was wrong." I laughed.

  He offered me his arm to which I accepted. We walked down to his car and headed to the restaurant. The comfort between us was clear.

  The restaurant itself was breathtaking, with floor to ceiling windows that offered a stunning view of the city skyline. The ma?tre d' greeted us warmly and led us to a secluded table by the windows. The scene was perfect, soft lighting, elegant décor, and the gentle light chatter of conversations around us.

  As we settled into our seats, Darius reached his hands across the table and took mine in his. "I've been looking forward to this all day." He said, his eyes locked onto mine.

  I laughed and smiled at him. "Me as well. I'll tell you, it's been a heck of a day so it's nice to have something to celebrate for once and take my mind off of work for a bit."

  The waiter arrived, and we ordered a bottle of wine to toast the victory I had today along with each other. The wine was a rich full-bodied red that complemented the atmosphere perfectly.

  "Soooo Detective, tell me more about the bust today!" Darius said, his expression serious yet with a hint of excitement. "How did it feel to finally capture El Diablo?!"

  I laughed once again as I rubbed my head and took a sip of wine. I leaned back in my seat to gather my thoughts on his question. "Oh man, it has been a heck of a couple days. Intense. It was nice to catch that big of a target as El Diablo but... I-" I'd pause.

  "What? Tell me." He said as he took a sip of wine.

  "I have this feeling I can't shake. We caught him way to easy and with such little fight... I'll tell you one this, this whole experience or the case rather, is FAR from over."

  He nodded. "You're amazing. Really. After everything you went through with your shoulder, you still return to that job and get yourself involved in a case of taking down a mastermind. One of the biggest leaders of one of the biggest cartels in Miami and take him down on your second day back! That's some real fight right there."

  I blushed at his comments. "It's not just me though. I have a great team. My partner Jacob. Everyone at the station. But I will admit, there was a bit of tremor going back into the job after everything that happened as much as I hate to admit it. But I guess when you're a cop for as long as I've been one, it's like riding a bike huh?" I'd laugh.

  A few moments later, the waiter returned with our appetizers, shrimp cooked to perfection, along with mozzarella sticks and a side salad that I ordered for myself. We enjoyed the delicious food as we continued our conversation between bites. Darius shared stories from his own work and I found myself laughing at the craziness from some of them. The stress from the day feeling as if it just melted away.

  "You seem to have a crazier job than I do." I said to him as I took a sip of wine again to cleanse the palette.

  He laughed. "Honestly depends on the day. You'll get that one patient who will need this, this and this and at the end of the day you're just like... What just happened?" He'd laugh again.

  After we ate, we walked hand and hand down the shore. The sound of the waves lapped against the docs a soothing melody to our conversation. We reached a bench and decided to sit down for a while.

  He looked at me for a minute before back at the sky. "You deserve nights like these." He said as he put his hand in mine.

  "You do as well Darius, you do as well." I said softly.

  We drove back to my apartment. The city lights casted a warm glow around us. The night was just about winded down, but the connection between us continued to heat up. When we reached my place, Darius walked me to the door, his hand warm and reassuring in mine.

  "I had a wonderful time tonight." I said as I turned my face to him.

  "So did I." He replied, his gaze softened.

  "We should do this more often." I nodded, a smile appearing on my lips.

  "I'd like that." He leaned in, his lips brushed against mine in a tender yet soft kiss. "Goodnight Detective."

  "Goodnight Doctor." I whispered as I watched him walk back to his car.

  ________________________________________________________

  The apartment was quiet as I closed the door behind me, the warmth of the evening still lingered in the air. I slipped off my heels and felt the coolness of the floor beneath my feet. I let out a contented sigh. Dinner with Darius had been everything that I had hoped for, relaxing, enjoyable, spicy and a much needed break from the chaos of my everyday life.

  I changed into a pair of pajamas, made myself a cup of warm tea and parked myself on the couch with a good book. I checked my phone for a moment to notice a few missed calls and messages from colleagues and friends, after the amazement of tonight. I decided they could wait until morning.

  ____________________________________________________________

  A few hours later, I was curled up on the couch, still engraved in that good book in my hand, when my phone buzzed loudly on the coffee table. I sat up quickly, glancing at the clock, past midnight. Calls at this hour were rarely good news. I hesitated before answering.

  "Detective Grant." I said into the phone calmly.

  "Izzy. It's Ray Burks." A response came from the other line a few moments later. Ray Burks. Sergeant in our precinct. A man who I can actually say I am close with besides Jacob.

  "What's happening Ray?" I asked.

  "We need you down at the Grab and Go on Vinewood. There's been a-... incident. We need you down here." Ray responded.

  My heart began to be beat quicker and quicker as worry came into my mind about what could be happening.

  I felt a cold knot begin to form in my stomach. "I-... I'll be there in ten minutes." I replied. I already moved towards my bedroom to change. I quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweated and grabbed my badge and gun before I was out the door. The drive to the Grab and Go was a blur, my mind raced with possibilities of what could have happened. Being a police officer and getting calls in the middle of the night usually didn't happen unless it was serious.